In a wave of energy, Giuseppe Brownell strides in from the kitchen. His Italian accent overlays each story about his upbringing in Umbria, a city located in central Italy.  Brownell is an Italian immigrant-turned-restaurant owner and the mastermind behind Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant on Locust Street. Nestled inside of a historic Victorian home, Giuseppe’s feels all at once overtly authentic and recognizably Denton.

“I didn’t realize [cooking] was my passion until after I went to college when I started working at an Italian restaurant, and I found out that’s what I really wanted to do,” Brownwell said. Brownell found his stride with his own brand of Italian cuisine after taking ideas and dishes from his family, his experience in Italian kitchens and the proliferation of online and TV resources like the Food Network. For Brownell, not only must a restaurateur understand what product they can handle, but they also have to be present.